Hydroponic Anthurium Growing Methods and How to Deal with Yellowing Leaves
Anthurium is a plant introduced to China from abroad, and it is currently distributed quite widely across the country. Many people like to grow it at home. The most common way we grow Anthurium is in soil. In fact, Anthurium is also suitable for hydroponic growing. The hydroponic method is also very simple.
Hydroponic Anthurium Growing Methods
1. First, disinfect the roots of the Anthurium. You can rinse off the growing medium with clean water (tap water that has been left to sit for 2 days), then soak and disinfect in a 1000-fold dilution of potassium permanganate for 30 minutes; after washing it clean, cut off the old roots and broken roots, and remove the flowers.
2. Then, place the Anthurium plant in a container, fill it with expanded clay pebbles, then dilute rooting powder according to the ratio, and spray the pebbles damp. Be careful not to let too much water accumulate below; if there is too much water, just pour it out.
3. In regular care, pay attention to changing the water regularly. Generally, in spring and autumn you can change the water once every 5-7 days, in winter once every 7-10 days, and in summer, when temperatures are high, once every 2-3 days. When changing the water, do not fill it too full; at least 1/2 of the plant's roots should be exposed above the water, so that the exposed part can absorb enough oxygen.
4. Anthurium likes a warm, humid, shady environment. Normally it should be placed in a ventilated spot with diffused light. In summer, it is best not to let it go above 28°C; in winter, below 14°C it will suffer cold damage, so it must be kept warm. The relative humidity must not be lower than 80%, otherwise the edges of the leaves and the red spathes will dry out. Be careful to spray water to maintain air humidity.
How to Deal with Yellowing Leaves on Hydroponic Anthurium
1. Add water in time. Regularly check the water level in the hydroponic container. When the water level is below 1/3 of the roots, you need to replenish the water in time. As long as there is enough water in the hydroponic container, there is no need to sprinkle water on the leaves every day. If the leaves are dirty, just gently wipe them with a damp cloth.
2. Add nutrient solution at the right time. For hydroponic Anthurium, how often you change the water does not matter much; the key is to control the amount of nutrient solution in the water. So, to ensure sufficient nutrients in the water, when adding water to the container, drip in a few drops of nutrient solution. As for exactly how many drops, you can be flexible according to how well the Anthurium is growing. At minimum, drip two drops each time, then observe the plant's growth; if it is normal, keep it as is, and if growth is poor, add a little more.
What to Do If Hydroponic Anthurium Does Not Bloom
1. Water. When growing Anthurium hydroponically, you should use sun-dried tap water. When drying it, do not place it directly in the sun, otherwise green algae will grow. Change the water once every 15 days.
2. Fertilizing. To make the flowers bloom more brilliantly, you need to spray potassium dihydrogen phosphate foliar fertilizer once in the morning and once in the evening.
3. Humidity and light. Spray water on the leaves every day to maintain the humidity for the Anthurium. As for light, avoid exposure to strong sun, and shade it when necessary. Daily care with diffused light is enough. Temperature: hydroponic Anthurium does not have high temperature requirements; anywhere between 5 and 30 degrees is fine.
Measures to Prevent Root Rot in Hydroponic Anthurium
1. Oxygenation measures. Lack of oxygen in the water is the main cause of root rot, so the dissolved oxygen content in the water should be increased in good time. The best way to add oxygen to the water is to make the water flow. You can hold the plant with one hand and rock the vase with the other; rocking for 1 minute can increase the dissolved oxygen in the water by 30%. You can also drip a little hydrogen peroxide into the water, or first take out the Anthurium and use an oxygen pump meant for fishkeeping to “replenish oxygen” in the water.
2. Environmental control. Hydroponic Anthurium basically grows fully exposed to its environment, so controlling its surrounding environment is especially important. The plant should be placed in a spot with diffused light, with temperature controlled so that in summer it cannot be higher than 28°C and in winter it cannot be lower than 14°C. Appropriately raise the ambient humidity; indoor relative humidity should reach above 80%, and humidity can be increased by spraying water.
Hydroponic growing is mainly about paying attention to the amount of water and how clean the water is. Before growing, the water should always be disinfected. In the later stages of growing, you also need to pay attention to temperature control. In the later stages of growing, Anthurium may show yellowing leaves, failure to bloom, and root rot, and these all have corresponding treatments. You can learn more about them.